Machine for armoring cables



1,618,437 Feb. 22,1927. M. KATCHER MACHINE FOR ARMORING CABLES Filed Au 29, 1925 ,3 Sheets-Sheet 1 iql.

Feb; 22,1927.

MACHINE FOR ARMORING CABLES M. KATCHER Filed Aug- 29, 1925 3 Sheets5heet 2 ti.- Q; .rl L

anoewboz Feb. 22, 1927.

M. KATCHER mxcanm FOR ARMORING CABLES Filed Aug. 29. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 r to Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

, U NI D STAT T NT aromas KAT HER, on nEw'roRK, any.

MACHINE Eon ARMORING CABLES.

Application ,filed August 29, 1925. Serial No. 53,898,

The present invention'relates to'a machine for placlng coils of metal strips 'or armor around electric cables or othersimilar objects for the purpose of inclosing the same and protecting them. It can also produce flexible metallic tubing without being wound around a cable. I

.. The principal object of the invention is to I provide a machine, which will simultaneous- H) 1y armor a plurahtyof cables,-that is compact and simple in construction. Being able to armor a number of cables simultaneouslyby one machine, greatly increases the productive capacity of my deviceas compared to 15 machines in general use at the present time which have capacity only for :one cable.

A machine, accordingto my i'nventiomcan be operated from one side, thereby making it convenient for the operator. 7

In the present case,"I have illustrated and described a machine in whichtwo cables are. armored snnultaneously, but it Wlll be evloff 1aterally,iwith respect to the dies, carrying along with them the length of cableabout which they are curled. As the cable moves froma reel which is suitably mounted to permit the cable to be rotated in unison with: The length of,

the rotation "of thehelix, cable, which has already been illilllOl'GuflylllOVOS along laterally into a drum whcre it is laid up inacoil. There isa reel and drum for each cable which rotate with it, the-drum for one cable rotating adj acent to the reel ofthe other.

Otherfobjccts and advantages will become apparent upon further study ofth'e specie fication andidrawings inwhich:

Figure 1 1s a front elevation ofthe 'machine with two lower portions broken away to, more clearly illustratef the construction; A Figure Qrisfia-plan viewof, the mach1ne;'-F1g.

'ure 3 isian end elevation ,onrline 3 3 .ofiFig. sure 1; Figure 4 is a ;sect1on-on line 4+4 of- Figure 1-; Figure i5 is a section on 'line 5 --.o-f,fI*igure"1; Figure 6 1s apartia-l section along with the generating helix, it is pulled,

along line of Figure 1 and Figure 7 a partial sectional plan along the line 77 of F gure 1.

The frame of the machine consists essentially of two I beams 10 suitablyfbraced from each other forming a base upon which are supported two upright frames 12and l3. Rota-tably mounted at the upper part of frame 12 is the hollow shaft 30 which is in alignment with hollow shaft '29rrotatabgly mounted in the upper part of frame 13. Reel 605, whichcarries bare cable59 is rotatably mounted .within yoke-61 which is rigidly fixed to the end of shaft- 30 1 Cable 59 is led from reel 6O through shaft 304. in-.

to shaft 29. Then armored, as will be ex plained hereafter, it is led; with its armoring through shaft 29 and coiled-in receiving drum 15 which is rigidly fixed-to the end'of shaft 29, In like manner, s'bare cable ,58

wound upon reel 60 is;led; throu-gl 1 hollow shaft 30 into hollow shaft 29 ShaftBO is rotatably ,mounted in the upper part of frame 13 and in alignment with shaft 29 of; shaft 30, rotatably supports reel '60.

The mechanism for 1Oliitl11g*;$ll2lift$ 29,

29 30 and 30 is as follows .The machine is driven by abelt (not shown) whichen gages pulley l8 fixed to shaft 19 suitably rotatably mounted in the upper :part ofa frame 12. Yokefilrigidly fixed to the end supported in bearingslin .the ,lower portion I of the machine. Fixedto shaft 19is awonm 205 which engageswith wori-n-w'heel 20 fixed to shaft 21 running longitudinally of the machine. ShaftQl carries fixed :to it-sprock ct wheels 23 an'dfltfmeshing respectively with chains 25 and26. Chain 25 engages sprocket ,wheel 27 fixed. to .sh aft 29, causing thereby the rotation of receiving drum 415. 1 In like manner chain QG-engages sprocket wheel 28 fixed to shaft 29=causing=the rotation of receiving drum 15 Reels, and (50 are rotated'at a. rate correspondingito the rate that-the strips of metal 41 and f2 I :are being formed into :hehces about cables and 59. c The rotation being considered is that about shafts 3 0 and 30 as axesyto which itfwill be remembered forks x61 .and 61 are fixed respectively. The rotationofqshaft 3O isefi ect'ed by chain 33 which dllVGSJSPlIOdkQlwheelfixed to said shaft. rChain 33p-is in turn 'driwen by sprocket wheela32rfixed to shaft 29, 1 In like manner shaft 80? -is,,;ro- Qtated. by chain 33 which drives xsprocket wheel 31 fixed to said shaft. Chain 33 in turn driven by sprocket wheel 32 fixed to shaft 29.

The mechanism for feeding in, forming and bending the metal strips all and into helices about cables 58 and 59 will now be described. Metal strips all and at? are led into the machine from an outside source (not shown). As they enter the machine they pass between feeding and forming rolls, a pair of which, for handling strip 41-2, are seen in Il igure 1, showing an upper roll :37 and a lower roll 38. A similar pair 01 rolls are provided for strip 4-2, the upper one ol which 39 can be seen in Figure 2. Upper roll 32' can also be seen in Figure 2. hach pair ol rolls is so formed that the metal strip in passing between them is pressed into suitable shape for interlocking when bcnl into a. helix. After passion through rolls 3? and 38. metal stripell id against die which has a suitable groom, as is well known in the art, for deflecting the strip laterally in the form of a helix. In a similar manner strip l2 after being passed between its forming rolls is led against die TO and deflected laterally in the form of a helix.

The mechanisnrfor rotating the l eedinp rolls will now be explained. As the rate oi? rotation of the feeding rolls must be varied to suit dill'erentthicknesses of cable and metal strips, change gear mechanism is provided hetwen shalt 21 and the feeding rolls.

57 are sprocket Wheels 5.3 and 5d nus-hing respectively with which are chains and Fi l. Chain 53 drives sprocket Wheel 51, While chain 54 drives sprocket wheel Sprocket wheel 51 is fixed to shalt all which carries fixed to itlower feeding roll 38. The other end oi shaft 44; carries gear 43 fixed upon it. (lear d3 mesncs with gcanl-[i fixedly mounted upon shalt l5, which carries the upper feed ing roll 37. In like manner sprocket wheel is fixedly mounted upon shaft (Figure 2) near one end. Shaft 48 carries near 47 (Figures 2 and l) fixedly mounted at its other end. The lower feeding roll (not shown) which cooperates with the upper feeding roll 39, is also fixedly mounted on shaft 4:8. Gear 47 meshes with gear 50 fl edly mounted upon shaft 49 carrying the upper feeding roll 39. To provide for the substitution of difiierent size gears for gear 75, gear'TG which meshes with gear and gear 77 which meshes with gear 76 are rotatably mounted on a link 83 which in turn is loosely mounted 011 shaft 21. Gear 77 is mounted on one end of pin 81 which passes through link 83, the other end of pin 81 carrying gear 78 (Figures 1, 4, 6 and 7).

Gear 78 meshes with gear 79 fixed to shaft Link 83 can be mljustably set in various positions about shaft 21 by means of bolt 85 which is adapted to slide in slot 89 formed in lined bracket 853. The change gear mechanism just described is adapted to dip into the lubricating ehiuul'ier from Which bracket 88 extends,

In operation, the cables are led from their reels (50 and (50 past the dies 69 and i0 and into the hollowxshal le Q!) and 99" to drums I15 and 15 'lhrough the connections described. shells 30 ended together with reels (it) and (50 are rotated "from pulley 1S and shaft E21. lliltew 1e lhepairs of feed rolls ST and 38 together with and its male are U?) rotated from shaft ill. Sill)HllllllQUliSllY with the rotation oiYrecle GO and lilland cables 58 and 59, metal strips 4 1. and 153 are led between the pairs of l t/ding; rolls against dies (59 and 70 and are formed iintolieliccs about the cables. lhe helix formed by die (59, passes oil to the right (Figure 2) as it is generated, carrying along with it cable 5*.) through shaft 99 and into the rotating drum 15 Where it laid up into acoil. In it similar manner the helix formed by die Tl) passes to the left with cable 58 and is laid up in drum 15".

In using the machine for forming flexible hollow tubing only, the cables are omitted, otherwise the operationolf the machine in similar to that just described.

I claim: i

1. In a coiling machine of the character described, the combination of a. plurality of sets ol forming Wheels adapted to rotate in planes parallel to each other whereby a plurality of metallic strips more parallel to each other after baring pa Wheels of a set. there heir spending to each set, a ph rality of (lies a die corresponding to each set, adapted to receive and coil the metallic strips into flea 'lble tubes ai'ter same have hill? the llli'lllllllf Wheels, said dies beingadapted to teed all the coils generated in parallel and opposite directions.

53. In a coiling machine oi? the cluiracter dcscrihed. the cinnhination oi? a pair of dies and meclumieuu for :t'ceding metallic strips into the dies, said dies being suitablvformed to coil said strips into flexible tubeslthe outlets of said dies being); suitably positioned to :l'eed oil" the tubes as generated in parallel and opposite directions. l

3. In a. cable armoring machine, the combination of a pair of rotatable reels ior sup plying a. pair of cables, means for turning said reels about an axis perpendicular to theiraxes of rotation whereby the cables are revolved they are ifed a pair of dies adapted to receive and coil a metallic strip about each cable, said dies being adapted to feed oil the coils as generated in opposite direcseed be ween the a 1} corrcill] ill.)

tions, the generating coils pulling off the cables from the reels, said reels being located f on opposite sides of the dies.

at. A cable armoring machine as claimed in claim 3 having rotatable means for receiving the cables when armored, themeans for receiving the armored cable from one die being substantially adjacent the reel for supplying cable to the other die. I

5. In a cable armoring machine, the combination of a pairof means for supplying a pair of cables, mechanism for rotatinglsaid means whereby the cables are revolved as they are supplied, another pair of means for receiving the cables I from the supplying means and a pair of dies adapted to receive andcoil a metallic strip about each cable, said dies being adapted to feed off the coils as generated in opposite directions, the generating coils pulling off the cables from the supplying means, the supplying means for one die being substantially alongside of the receiving means'for the other die. a

6. In a coiling machine of the character described, the combination of a pair of dies and mechanism for feeding metallic strips into the dies, said dies being suitably formed to coil said strips into flexible tubes and to discharge the tubes as generatedin opposite directions, and means for receiving the tubes when generated, one receiving means being located on one side of the dies and the other receiving means being located on the oppo-' site side of the other die.

7. In a cable armoring machine, the combination of a pair of rotatable reels for supturning each of said reels ab0ut an axis perpendicular to its axis of rotation whereby the cables are revolved as they are fed, said cables being fed through said hollow shafts, a pair of dies adapted to receive and coil a metallic strip about each cable,'said dies being adapted to feed off the'coils as generated in opposite directions, the generating coils c pulling off the cables from the reels, a drum for each cable adapted to receive and coil its corresponding cable when armored, a hollow shaft adapted to rotate each drum, the armored cables adapted to pass through said drum shafts to the drums, said drum shafts each being in alignment with a reel shaft, one reel shaft and its corresponding aligned drum shaft being parallel tothe' other reel shaft and its corresponding drum shaft, the

drum shaft for one cable lying alongside of the reel shaft of the other cable.

8. In a cable armoring machine, a pair of oppositely disposed devices for supplying a dies each adapted to receive and coil a metallic strip about a cable, two sets of'feeding mechanisms adapted to feed the strips into the dies, and means adapted to be driven from a source of power adapted to drive simultaneously both sets of feeding mechanisms and the devices for supplying the cables, and change gear mechanism common to both sets of feeding mechanisms for varying the relative rotation of the cables to the speed of feeding of the strips. a

V 10. In a cable armoring machine, a pair of devices for supplying a pair of cables, said devices being adapted to cause rotation of said cables as they are supplied, a pair of dies each adapted to receive and coil a metallic strip about a cable, two sets of feeding mechanisms adapted to feed the strips into the dies, said cable supplying devices being geared to each other and to the feeding 'mechanisms. 1 plying a pair of cables, a hollow shaft for '11. A cable armoring machine as claimed in claim 8, in which the device for supplying tubes, the entrance to the groove being on 100 the same side of the die for each die, whereby the metallic strips are received by both dies on the same side, and the discharge ends of said. grooves-being suitably directed to feed off the tubes as generated in parallel spaced T05 relation.

MORRIS KATCHER;

one cable is geared to the means for receiv- 

